1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of this invention relate to a defoamer for use in recyclable foamable systems for use in all downhole operations including drilling, fracturing, completion, cementing, stimulating, and/or enhancing operations, where the defoamer has consistent activity across all downhole operations making the defoamer universal.
More particularly, embodiments of this invention relate to a universal defoamer for use in foamable systems for use in all downhole operation including drilling, fracturing, completion, cementing, stimulating, and/or enhancing operations, where the defoamer includes a combination of silicone-based antifoam agents at concentrations with effective and efficient characteristic defoaming potency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Frequently, drilling fluid, fracturing fluid, completion fluid, cementing, stimulating fluid systems are designed to produce foams with suitable characteristics for specific drilling or related operations. The ability to reuse the systems is always advantageous to curtail chemical usage and handling as well as overall economics of an operation. Despite the obvious advantages, a great number of drilling systems cannot be reused or recycled, because of the lack of suitable defoamer systems that permit foam-defoam and refoam cycles. Though, some known defoamers permit reuse of fluid systems, nevertheless, they are not environmentally benign.
In prior art, the primary objective was always to formulate a suitable system to meet end use conditions. End use conditions like temperature, pH, salinity, contaminants, base fluid and so on are examples. Once a suitable system has been formulated, recyclability for instance, as much as it is desirable, is a secondary consideration. Hence, there are many fluid systems that are for single pass operations, with only few being recyclable.
While there are many defoamers and defoaming systems, there is a continued need in the art for defoamers and defoamer systems that have consistent performance properties across all downhole operations and all foaming fluid systems, especially at low concentrations, ≦200 ppm, while maintaining the ability for the foam systems to be refoamed or to undergo a number of foam-defoam-refoam cycles.